The subject matter disclosed herein relates to a distributed gas turbine engine control system.
Gas turbine systems typically employ an engine controller, such as a full authority digital engine controller (FADEC), to control various parameters associated with operation of the gas turbine system. For example, the engine controller may be configured to receive an input signal (e.g., indicative of throttle setting, desired fuel mixture, etc.) from a remote network, and to adjust various operational parameters of the gas turbine system based on the input signal. By way of example, if the controller receives an input signal indicative of a desired throttle setting, the engine controller may rotate compressor vanes to a desired angle, adjust positions of fuel valves, and/or adjust cooling air flow to turbine blades to establish the desired throttle setting.
Certain engine controllers utilize a first control loop to compute target values of the operational parameters based on the input signal, and a second control loop to adjust the operational parameters based on the target values. To facilitate control of the operational parameters, multiple actuators may be communicatively coupled to the engine controller. In addition, sensors may be communicatively coupled to the engine controller to provide feedback signals indicative of measured values of the operational parameters, thereby enabling the engine controller to provide closed-loop control of the actuators. In certain embodiments, the sensors may be disposed within a housing of the engine controller, and a line/tube may extend between each sensor and a respective component associated with the parameter. For example, the engine controller may be configured to control compressor exit pressure by adjusting a valve position based on a measured compressor exit pressure. Accordingly, a tube may extend from a pressure tap to an electronic pressure transducer within the engine controller. In this configuration, the engine controller may monitor compressor exit pressure based on feedback from the electronic transducer, and adjust the position of the valve until the measured pressure is substantially equal to a desired pressure.
As the number of controlled parameters within the gas turbine system increases, the number of sensors within the engine controller, and the corresponding number of lines/tubes also increase. The increased number of sensors may increase the size of the engine controller housing, thereby increasing the difficulty associated with mounting the engine controller within an engine nacelle. In addition, the increased number of lines/tube may increase the weight of the engine control system, thereby reducing vehicle performance. Moreover, because the sensors within the engine controller are selected to measure parameters associated with a particular engine configuration, modifying the engine configuration (e.g., varying the number and/or type of controlled parameters) may prompt a redesign and recertification of the engine controller. Accordingly, the duration and costs associated with engine development may be undesirably increased.